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Volume 8, Issue 8  August 2016


In This Issue:


 

Voorhees College Selects
Dr. W. Franklin Evans as Ninth President


DENMARK, SC (courtesy Sonya Glass, Voorhees College) - Voorhees College Board of Trustees has named Dr. W. Franklin Evans as the 9th president of Voorhees College.

Prior to being named President of Voorhees College, Evans served as interim president of South Carolina State University (SCSU) in Orangeburg, SC. Evans' previous leadership responsibilities at SCSU included serving as provost and chief academic officer.    

Under his leadership as interim president of SC State, enrollment exceeded its goal and fundraising increased by 687%.  During the same time, alumni support also improved and SCSU achieved a balanced budget.

Evans has been in the education arena for over 25 years.  He served as Vice President of Academic Affairs at Virginia Union University in Richmond, VA, where he was instrumental in leading the institution through a successful reaffirmation of accreditation.  While at Virginia Union, Evans also established an Honors College and additional degree programs (Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Arts and a Master of Education degree).  Evans' experience also includes leadership roles at Elizabeth City State University (NC), Drake State Community and Technical College (AL), and Tennessee State University (TN).  He is also an experienced fundraiser and grant writer.

Please click here to read the entire post...








CSU President Dr. Jairy Hunter 
Recognized as 2016 Distinguished Business Officer



CHARLESTON, SC (courtesy John Strubel, CSU) -- Charleston Southern University president Dr. Jairy C. Hunter Jr. has been recognized as the 2016 Distinguished Business Officer by the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO). The award is given annually to "recognize outstanding achievement in the field of business and financial management in higher education." 
 
Dr. Ronald L. Rhames, president of Midlands Technical College, who formally nominated Charleston Southern University's president for the honor stated, "Dr. Hunter's passion and personal commitment to the profession of the business officer and his strong belief in the professional development of the business officer make him most deserving."

Hunter is recognized as "a trailblazer" as one of the first chief business officers in higher education to matriculate to the presidency of a university. "He is a proven leader as a chief business officer and a university president," said Charles King, Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance at James Madison University. "His knowledge of higher education administration and his unique ability to relate his own experiences has inspired hundreds of business professionals to excel in their university positions."

Please click here to read the entire post...


 


 


Please Support SC Independent Higher Education through Gifts to SCICU - FY 2015-16 Deadline is August 31

With less than 30 days left in SCICU's fundraising year, supporting higher education opportunities available through South Carolina's independent colleges and universities is more important than ever.

Opportunities to financially support SC independent higher education through gifts to SCICU are still available for fiscal year 2016-2017.  100% of funds raised by SCICU is dedicated to the support of the twenty member colleges and universities and their students.  These opportunities include the following:  
  • SCICU Scholars Program
  • Board of Trustees Scholarship Awards
  • Student/Faculty Research Program
  • Independent College and University Week
  • Excellence In Teaching Awards
  • Annual College Campus Tour
  • Unrestricted Gifts
Making a gift to SCICU has never been easier.  Simply visit the SCICU website ( scicu.org/donate) and follow the directions to make an online gift through PayPal.  This link also supports gifts made via your major credit card.

For more information on giving opportunities to SCICU, please call Eddie Shannon today at 803-799-7122.  Please make your gift today!

 






Allen University to Host SCICU 
Fall Board Meeting October 12


The SCICU Board of Trustees will hold its Fall 2016 Board Meeting at Allen University on October 12.  The Council of Presidents will start the day with breakfast at 9 a.m. College/University Presidents will join the full board to convene the business meeting at 10:30.

SCICU Board of Trustees members, including at-large trustees and presidents of member colleges and universities, are encouraged to register online for the board meeting.

Please contact Shay West at SCICU (803-799-7122 or shay@scicu.org) if you have any questions regarding registration or need help with your registration. 
 
Many thanks in advance to the trustees who have already registered online for the board meeting. There is no need to register again. 







FLSA Overtime Rule - Preparing SCICU Member Institutions For 12/01/16 Deadline


Campus administrators at SCICU member colleges and universities have been putting in their own overtime this summer as they prepare to implement the new federal rules for determining and compensating employees by the December 1, 2016 deadline.
 
The Department of Labor's Final Rule on Defining and Delimiting the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales and Computer Employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ( the "Overtime Rule") is intended to strengthen overtime protections and provide greater clarity for both workers and employers. The Final Rule updates the salary level required for the executive, administrative, and professional (" white collar") exemptions to ensure that the FLSA's intended overtime protections are fully implemented and to simplify the identification of overtime-protected employees.  Most significantly, the new overtime rules updated the salary level threshold above which certain "white collar" workers may be exempt from overtime.
 
After more than 10 years, the new rule will raise the salary level threshold from its previous amount of $455 per week (the equivalent of $23,660 a year) to $913 per week (the equivalent of $47,476 per year) in 2016. The rule will also raise the compensation level for highly compensated employees subject to a more minimal duties test from its previous amount of $100,000 to $134,004 annually.
 
The Final Rule also establishes a mechanism for automatically updating the salary level thresholds and compensation level for highly- compensated employees every three years, with the first update to take place in 2020.
 
On most campuses, administrators have analyzed the position descriptions and compensation levels of all their employees to determine the most appropriate and compliant way to compensate individuals. In many cases, new or revised policies are being introduced to govern time and attendance requirements. As a result, more extensive time-keeping procedures and programs are being introduced. Many members expect that their personnel costs and the cost of human resources management will increase once they finalize revised policies and procedures.
 
SCICU has worked with member colleges and universities to provide or enhance the resources they need to work through the many challenges facing them in their race to the December 1, 2016 deadline.
 
In preparation for the December 1 FLSA implementation deadline, SCICU and Board of Trustee member Daniel Sulton hosted a free seminar on the FLSA changes at the law offices of Ogletree Deakins in Greenville.  Thirty-five participants from 16 SCICU member institutions attended this July 28 seminar and networking luncheon.  Sulton, a 1995 graduate of Wofford College, is a shareholder at Ogletree Deakins and is a member of the firm's employee benefits practice group.  He has also assisted  higher education institutions with employee benefits issues. 

Sulton is a member of the SCICU Board of Trustees, and currently is the chair of the SCICU Public Policy committee.
 
Efforts to assist all SCICU members with their effort to comply with the new rules will continue throughout the year.


 






SCICU to Sponsor Two Title IX Investigator Training Seminars in September

SCICU is pleased to announce that two additional Title IX training seminars will be presented September 26-29, 2016 for member colleges and universities.  Furman University will be providing conference space for the training seminars.  

SCICU is again partnering with attorneys Natasha Baker and Megan Farrell and  of the Hirschfeld Kraemer law firm for Title IX training.  Baker and Farrell have significant experience in higher education and Title IX matters.  
 
Basic Title IX training (Title IX ASAP and Investigation Training) will be held September 26-27.  This seminar will essentially present the same content as the two-day training that almost 100 faculty and staff from SCICU member institutions attended in 2015 at Southern Wesleyan University. It is the first-level course for faculty/staff on SCICU member campuses who administrators entrust with investigating Title IX complaints or providing other forms of support such as awareness education.  This two-day basic seminar can accommodate up to 100 participants. 
 
Advanced Title IX training (Title IX ASAP Advanced Investigations) will be presented on September 28 and 29. This advanced seminar is for faculty and staff who participated in basic level Title IX investigator training presented by Baker/Farrell and sponsored by SCICU in 2015. Those who have completed a similar Title IX basic course with another reputable professional development organization may also participate in the advanced training on September 28-29. Due to the intensive and interactive nature of this advanced seminar, this two-day training will be limited to 50 participants.
 
As compared to traveling to other states for national Title IX training, bringing Title IX training to South Carolina during 2015 helped SCICU member colleges spend approximately 70% less on travel-related expenses. 

Another benefit of SCICU-sponsored training is that the instructors can concentrate on the particular environments at our small, private liberal arts campuses and some of the special challenges faced by faith-based institutions. There will also be many opportunities to discuss best practices and learn from colleagues at other SCICU member colleges and universities. 

Specific pricing information for each seminar and online registration will be announced via email in early August.  

SCICU also recognizes Melissa Nichols, Title IX Coordinator for Wofford College / Furman University, for her role in linking the advanced training course with the basic training course and agreeing to co-locate the two on the Furman campus to achieve the highest level of economy of scale for SCICU member institutions. 
 
 
 







Securing America's Future -
Free CIC Workshops for College Leaders


Is the future of your institution secure? Sustainability is the most pressing concern at many independent colleges and universities, especially in the face of shifting demographics and economic uncertainty.  But college leaders don't always know the best way to align their institution's current mission with new business models, or to identify peer-tested innovations, or to engage the faculty and other campus constituents in potentially disruptive change efforts.

The Council of Independent Colleges is launching a series of free workshops designed to help its member institutions prepare for the future more effectively. The half-day workshops will bring together teams of presidents, senior administrators, and faculty leaders to explore key trends in higher education and society, the urgent pressures facing individual colleges and universities, and potential solutions. Eight workshops will be offered at locations around the country between September 2016 and April 2017.

For SCICU member institutions, the nearest workshop will be at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 26, 2017.

There is no cost to participate, but institutions must register in advance. For more information or to register for a workshop, visit
the CIC website at www.cic.edu/SecuringWorkshops.

 



 

SCICU curates news from its twenty member colleges and universities.  Click here to read college news on the SCICU website.

 






August








The Business Partners program provides a convenient marketplace in which SCICU member colleges and universities can preview offerings tailored to the needs of the higher education community in South Carolina.

 
SCICU is pleased to recognize the renewals of the following Business Partners:


Directory - Click
  here  for a complete list of Business Partners, or access information on individual Business Partners via the links shown below.

ABM Building Solutions, LLC  | American Student Assistance Aramark Higher Education | Blackboard Inc.  | CapinCrouse LLP | Church Mutual Insurance Company | Coleman Lew + Associates | Craig Gaulden Davis | CSI Leasing, Inc. e-Procurement Services, LLC | e2Campus |   eBridge Business Solutions LLC | eDocHome.com | Elliott Davis Decosimo | ETC Consulting, LLC Find Great People, LLC | First American Education Finance | Genworth Financial | Gillis Specialty Adverstising | Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, PA | HRP Associates, Inc.  | INSITE |   McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture | Metz Culinary Management | Myers McRae Executive Search and Consulting | Pollock Company | Professional Insurance & Investment Associates | Purple Briefcase | S2K | SC Student Loan Corporation | ScholarBuys | Sodexo | Spirit Communications | Stalwart Systems Group | STEM Premier | Total Comfort Solutions | UnitedHealthcare Student Resources | Verizon | Vulcan Materials Company | Walsh Consulting Group LLC | Winthrop Resources IT Leasing | Wyche, PA
 
 



 
 
SCICU is a member of the Coalition for College Cost Savings (CCCS). This organization, comprised of 33 member organizations in 30 states, serves more than 900 higher education institutions and over 3 million students across the United States. The organization and staff are dedicated to helping private higher education institutions improve processes and reduce costs through collaboration.

All SCICU member colleges and universities have access to CCCS's national contracts and services. More information on this important benefit may be found here.
 
 
 

News & Notes is published by the South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, Inc.  Please send all comments or questions to SCICU President & CEO Mike LeFever at mike@scicu.org or 803-799-7122.  Mailing address: PO Box 12007, Columbia, SC 29211.